Enabled
by daytimedrama
Summary: AU. Danny and Lindsay are married with two girls. Will problems plaguing his brother threaten their happy family? Angst, Romance, some DL Family Fluff. Update 12/15/08
1. Chapter 1

Title: Enabled

Author: daytimedrama  
Rating: T  
Pairing: Danny/Lindsay  
Summary: AU. Danny and Lindsay are married with two girls. Will problems plaguing his brother threaten their happy family?

A/N: Hi all, this is my latest fic, will be multiple chapters. Lots of fluff, some angst, maybe even some smut. Updates might be on the slowish side, cause I want this to come out as carefully as I have it in my mind. and PS I'm still writing Sierra fluff, so fear not. Thanks for reading.

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CHAPTER 1

"Mmmm..Montana.? What time is it?" He felt like he had just fallen to sleep. But now there was a loud banging sound. He held onto his wife tightly, clinging to the grips of sleep.

"It's someone at the door Dan." She said. She sounded a little alarmed. Now that she was a mother, her voice was often laced with a tinge of worry. Once upon a time she'd go out with guns blazing. Now Chloe and Julia were the priority, she never wanted them to grow up without both parents if they could avoid it.

"Stay here. I'll go see who it is," he said as he walked to the closet and unlocked the safe and took out his gun. He saw a flash of panic in Lindsay's eye, as she reached for his forgotten shirt. She began to cover herself, but he interrupted.

"Don't you dare put that shirt on. I'll be right back." His cheeky retort cracked her frown.

The person on the other side of the door was pounding now. Danny gingerly walked through the living room. He looked through the peep hole and saw his brother leaning heavily against the frame. Danny let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"Louie. What are you doing here?" He said as he stepped inside to let him pass. He watched as Louie struggled to stay upright. Danny unconsciously sniffed the air for traces of hard liquor. Louie's bloodshot eyes and shifting glances always alarmed Danny.

"I came to see my nieces," he said as he looked around the quiet living room. As if the girls were hiding behind the couch.

"They're asleep." Danny tried to keep the sharpness out of his tone.

"Oh."

"It's two in the morning." That same biting tone almost made him wince. He was trapped between fury and a desire to save.

"I'm sorry I didn't make it to Juls' party. I lost track of time." More excuses.

"Are you using again?" It was time to cut straight to the point. He had a few ideas of where Louie had been, none of them very flattering.

"No!"

"Don't lie to me." He had no patience for lies anymore.

"Hi, Louie. Is everything okay?" Lindsay's voice cut through the thick tension. Danny was still incensed, but the calm that always came with a proximity to Lindsay was sneaking back in.

"I guess I'm a few hours late," Louie answered

"We were worried." She looked to Danny, unconsciously pleading with him to understand that accusations weren't going to help now. It was quite obvious that Louie needed help, but he had to want to get it. She continued, "I need to go back to sleep. I have an early shift. Maybe if you guys need to _talk _you should go down the corner to the diner." Danny nodded.

She crossed the room, stopping in front of Louie. She kissed him on the cheek, before whispering, "I'm glad you're okay."

She turned between the fraternal standoff and met Danny's eyes. He gently caught her fingers in his. Their silent communication. She knew he had to do this, just as he knew how fiercely she would protect her family. He never wanted to have to choose.

…

"Lindsay? Are you mad?" He asked when he climbed under the covers hours later. He knew when he walked in that she was awake. When she slept alone she was never so still. Tossing and turning. Nightmares and past memories kept her in constant movement. Fighting to keep the darkness at bay. It was only when she was awake that she could control the horror that threatened the peace.

"No." She stayed facing away from him. She had been thinking for a long time about this. She felt awful, but part of her was relieved that Louie wasn't there for the birthday party. It would have been harder to explain Louie's erratic behavior rather than making an excuse for his absence.

"Are you sure?" He asked hesitantly. It couldn't be that easy.

"Danny, I'm not mad. I'm just tired." She turned onto her back.

"Sorry, I'll let you go back sleep."

"No. That's not it. I mean I'm tired of this. It's not your responsibility to make him better. He has to want to get help." She sat up. Bringing herself into his side.

"Linds," he said pleadingly."You know I can't say no to him,"

"I know. But I also know I can't let him be around the girls if he's high."

"But..."

"No Danny. You know I'm right. And if anything happened to Chloe or Julia, you'd never forgive yourself either."

"What am I supposed to do? Not talk to him? He's my brother. He's my family."

"Maybe you should start by not enabling him. How much did you give him?"

"God, Lindsay do you think I'm stupid?" He knew it was wrong, evading her question and blaming her.

"How much?" She didn't let his defensive anger get to her.

"I gave him 200." He steadied himself under her gaze. He hated the look of disappointment that would flicker across her face. It didn't come. Instead she was not surprised. That was probably worse.

"God, Linds. Why do you have to be like that?"

She couldn't contain her snort of disbelief. Sometimes he was such a child.

"You need to sleep. I'll just go to the couch."He was mad but he really wanted to avoid saying something he knew he wouldn't be able to take back. She was the easiest one to take his anger out on.

"You don't have to go." She said quietly.

"Yeah, I do." He knew she was right, but he wasn't ready to give up quite yet.

"Fine," she answered shortly.

"Fine." He regretted ever step towards the couch.

…

He slept fitfully. The couch was as uncomfortable as he remembered but it was always worse not sleeping next to Lindsay. In their five and a half years of marriage, he fortunately hadn't ended up there much. He was an idiot. He had caused this. She was right. She was only telling him the truth and he understood that she had a natural urge to protect her family including him. She didn't want to see him hurt. Or disappointed when he wouldn't be able to save Louie. 

He felt her soft lips on his forehead and smelled her sweet scent, when she kissed him before she went to work. Her breath as she whispered, "I love you, Dan," tickled his face.

He kept his eyes closed. Not because he wasn't ready to apologize. In fact he had been ready to apologize the second after he had suggested he'd sleep on the couch. He knew she'd forgive him instantly but he didn't want to give her a hasty apology before she went to work. She deserved some of his prime groveling. They needed time to talk, really talk.

…

Lindsay sat in her office. She looked across her desk to her husband's empty chair. Her heart ached. She kept second guessing herself. She should have gone out to the living room. She should have made him talk to her. She should have made him stay. She was beginning to go crossed eyed from staring blankly at her computer while it tirelessly searched through Codis and her head ached from her fitful night's sleep. She had gotten dressed quietly in the early dawn, walked out to the living room. Danny was sprawled out inelegantly on the couch. Blanket barely covering him. She watched him. She watched as his face flexed and twitched. She reached a finger out to smooth the frown lines around his eyes. She willed the worry to leave him. She placed a lingering kiss on his forehead. "I love you Dan," she whispered, hoping he'd remember even in his sleep.

She looked up to see the program still running. She glanced again, she was sure it was actually going backwards. Everything else was done, this was all she was waiting for. She wondered if she should call him. No, they would need to find the time and talk about this face to face. Like grown adults, no more slamming doors and stomping off. Her phone startled her when it beeped, indicating a new text message:

_I love you too._

_D._

She smiled. A lot of the weight on her heart was lifted. While it was just a text message he knew how much it would ease her mind. Just the reminder. They loved each other.

She hated it when they fought. She hated it even more if they weren't even fighting about them. She knew Louie was a sensitive topic for him but she couldn't go on overlooking the situation. She couldn't be the one who made up the excuses to the girls. She couldn't take the calls from Danny's mother worried sick, that this time they wouldn't find Louie stuck to a bar.

The worst was the time when Lindsay had been 7 months pregnant with Julia. Louie hadn't been heard from for four days. Mrs. Messer called in hysterics. Lindsay and Danny had driven a sleeping Chloe to the small house on Staten Island. Danny fretted over his pregnant wife, but she insisted that he go look for his brother. After Lindsay laid a sleeping Chloe under the baseball covers which still adorned Danny's childhood bed, she sat with Danny's mother. She made tea and waited for the phone to ring. After five hours the shrill sound cut through the silence of the kitchen. Danny had gone to every shady bar the Louie had a tab at. He had walked into establishments that an upstanding NYPD detective shouldn't ever be seen in. And he called in favors to all the beat cops he knew in the old neighborhood.

After five hours, a 300 posted bond and an emotional reaction back in their small home, Louie was home. For now.

Two months later Danny and Lindsay's beautiful and perfect daughter was born. Lindsay, Danny, the team, and their families had all gone to the hospital, but Louie couldn't be found. When his mother got back to her house Louie had left a note saying he was going to Jersey. Louie first saw his niece when she was two weeks old. Danny had been upset at the time. Upset that Louie didn't want to share the joy Danny felt with the arrival of his newest daughter. Danny 

couldn't have torn himself away from Lindsay and his daughters if he had tried. He loved his whole family so much. Maybe too much. He'd never be able to handle the strain, take the pressure of pushing Louie away.

…

"Okay one short stack of blueberry for you and a short stack of banana for you." He placed their plates in front of each of his girls with a flourish. He began to cut Julia's pancakes into little bite sized pieces for her.

"Thanks Daddy." Chloe said from her kitchen stool.

"You are very welcome Clo. How are your pancakes Little Bit?"

"Mmm gooowd," Julia answered, her mouth full.

"Daddy? Where's Mommy?" Chloe asked.

"She's at work baby, but she'll be home this evening."

"Why aren't you at work too, Daddy?"

"Cause I have today off just to make you pancakes. I asked Uncle Mac especially for a Pancake Day."

"Does that mean I when I go to school I can have Pancake Days off?" He thought it was very funny that Chole hadn't even started Kindergarten yet but she was already thinking of ways to skip it. Montana would be mortified.

"Hmmm let me think about it," Danny paused dramatically. "Nope. Nice try though."

He turned to his own plate of pancakes; it held the few deformed ones he had to make before he created perfect Mickey Mouse heads. Lindsay could make them perfectly on her first try. He loved spending time with his girls, only thing that would make it better would be if Lindsay was here too. He always looked forward to their simultaneous days off. Why was he such an ass to her last night? Taking her for granted, taking his girls for granted, taking his life for granted.

"What are we doing today Daddy?"

"We are….going to do a little cleaning up around here, then we are going to the children's library, and then we are going to Nonna's."

"Yay! Are we going to go to Mother Geese Time? Julia loooooves Mother Geese Time."

"Yep, if you eat your breakfast and help me put away the toys, we'll get there in time. And maybe if you are very very good Nonna will let you stay with her tonight."

"Oh goodie! She feeds us sugar and lets us stay up late."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Danny replied.

…

"That was the best story ever. Can we check that book out and read it every night? Mommy will looove that one too." Chloe said while spinning in circles.

"Chloe, sweetie, we are still in the library so we use inside voices," he said whispering.

"Daddy, I'm tired of walking." Julia said with a yawn.

"Okay, up you go princess." He shifted Julia against his hip. "Chloe, hold my hand please."

…

"Thanks Ma for taking them." He said as the girls ran into his mother's kitchen.

"Is everything okay Daniel?" Maria Messer asked her youngest son.

"Yeah everything's fine. I just want to make Lindsay dinner, something that's not Mac n'Cheese."

"You're a sweet boy." She said as she patted him on the cheek. He felt guilty.

"Call if you have any problems, I'm sure Lindsay'll want to call to say goodnight. Night girls. Be very good for you Nonna. I love you so much" he said as he gave them both big hugs. His girls who looked just like their mother. Soft brown curls but with his blue eyes. His beautiful family. He was lucky.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi guys, here is the second chapter I've been agonizing over. Sorry for such a late update, between a near fatal computer issue and my other writing stuff, this was put on the back burner. Thanks for reading! I love hearing what you think!

CHAPTER 2

"Danny?" she asked. She was suspicious. It was too quiet in their apartment. She knew he was home, she saw their car parked down the street. Usually the girls would be dancing or singing, watching tv way too loudly, or resisting taking a bath. So it was definitely too quiet.

"I'm in here," she heard him call from the living room.

"That smells good. Where are the girls?" She asked as she kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

"They are spending the night with my Ma. Dinner won't be ready for another 30 minutes. So why don't you go get comfortable, take a shower, call to say goodnight to the girls."

"I think I will," she answered. She was about to walk away but she paused, "Danny if this is about last night, you didn't have to do all this."

"It's not. Well I mean yeah it is, but not entirely. I'm just sorry Montana. I shouldn't have picked a fight with you."

"It's okay. I know you are under a lot of pressure," she answered with a shrug.

"No, Lindsay it's not okay. And you shouldn't let me off the hook for being an ass."

"Well I never said I let you off the hook," she said cheekily.

"That's my girl," he said with a smile. He stood there for a moment. Dinner forgotten. He was just so happy she was with him.

"Come here," she said, breaking his meditation and pulling his face to hers for a kiss.

She missed him. A night and a work day away from him made her irritation, from their argument, dissolve. Now she just wanted to be close to him again. He responded when she deepened the kiss. Her tongue caressed and aroused, and her small hands travelled from his chest to his hips. He was ready to chuck the pasta into the garbage when she pulled away.

"I think I'll go take that shower before dinner," she said.

He groaned.

…

He tried to concentrate on the pasta sauce. He tried to stir slowly and clockwise as he heard the door to the bathroom close. He tried not to think about Lindsay naked turning on the shower. He imagined her standing in the swirling steam as she tested the temperature of the shower. He had to actually grip onto the counter to stop himself from walking in there. This was his idea after all. He needed to apologize for being a grade A ass. And then he could try to make her forget why she always stupidly stuck by him, and put up with his bullshit. They needed time to talk first. About their fight.

Their fight. He knew it wasn't about how they could help Louie, rather it was how he reacted to Louie's addictions. He wished this would be a fast conversation. Unfortunately it was years long, filled with hurt and guilt, fear and duty and it wouldn't be solved tonight.

Lindsay really ruined his plans to talk when she came out of their bedroom in just an oversized t-shirt. Her hair was still damp, and the water pooled at the ends, dripping onto her shoulders. Talk. They had to still talk, he reminded himself.

"Is this okay?" she asked his lust muddled expression. "What I'm wearing? Cause I can go put on more clothes if this was a formal dinner."

"No," he answered quickly. "You're perfect."

He realized he had been staring, when her giggle broke him out of his mental tracing of her smooth bare legs. He turned back to the stove, carefully stirring. He could feel her soft footsteps padding up behind him. He relaxed breathing in the simple scent of her shampoo. He always felt safe when she wrapped her arms around him. Her small hands stroked the plains of muscles in his back, and circled around to his hard stomach. He felt her lips through his thin shirt as she placed a kiss between his shoulder blades. He felt her small curves as they pressed along the length of his back. It was too much. Only thin cotton separated them and the feeling of her braless breasts pressed tightly against his back made him break.

He grasped her wrists, and turned in her hold. He captured her lips bruisingly. She let out a small sigh which almost brought him to his knees. He was still so in love with her. Somehow he managed to turn off the stove, and in one movement scooped Lindsay up and walked her to their bedroom. Her hands worked fast, and by the time he covered her body she had removed his shirt, her own and his pants were caught around his thighs. For a split second he remembered they still had to talk, but his mind clouded with lust when he felt her small hand stroking him. It was always amazing and never the same. He felt like he was home and at the same time exploring new territory. Dying of thirst and drowning in her scent, her soft skin.

…

"I really did mean for us to talk," he said as he let his finger trace her collar bone methodically.

"I needed this. We needed this," she said quietly.

"I mean, I wanted to apologize to you. To tell you how sorry I am. I should have never treated you like I did last night, or put you in that position," he said sincerely.

"You don't have to—"she tried to interrupt.

"You know that you and the girls mean everything to me. And I would do anything to protect you. It's just Louie is my family too. I know he's fucked up. But I keep hoping—I keep hoping one day he'll want to get clean."

"Danny, Louie is my family too. And I want to see him get better. But we can't let his addiction ruin us too. I won't let it."

"It won't. I swear it won't."

"What can we do?" She looked up at him her eyes large and emotional. Her kindness and generosity made his heart ache. He just wanted to drown in her again.

"I don't know if we can do anything." It was the first time he'd really said it out loud. Years of blaming himself, others, his parents, Tanglewood, prison, Lindsay. But none of those things were the cause, and none could be a solution either. The tragedy of the whole situation weighed constantly on his mind. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting to get that one call. Dreading the call to bail him out. Dreading the call to identify the body.

He looked at his wife. Her soft brown eyes, so open, so honest. After years of living in the city, facing the worst crimes, all while living with the one that shape her life, she retained a sense of innocence. Despite how much cruelty she saw, she genuinely believed in the good in people. It always felt like she had the power to light even the darkest parts of his soul. He wanted to drink her in, be possessed by her goodness. Let that light consume him.

"I think I'm done talking for now."

…

It was still dark but he had been watching her for hours. He watched her face twitch and turn. He wanted to know what she was thinking about. She told him about most the dreams. Sometimes they were good ones. The ones that had her waking up startled or frightened. Those were the nightmares. They could be scenes from work following her home. The night in the diner replaying, often with the characters changed. She told him once he was there, and the girls, but this time she was locked in the bathroom and couldn't get out to save them. Right now he could tell it was a good dream. Her soft breathing and slight smile. It was times like these, when he wished they could stay in this exact spot forever. No job, no worries, just them and feeling of safety.

…

"What time are we going to pick up the girls?" she asked sleepily.

"Um I told Ma around noon. So there is plenty of time." His usual routine was to make things light. He didn't want to concern her with the dreadful feeling of foreboding that began to creep in with the sunlight.

"Oh yeah? Plenty of time for what, pray tell?"

"Do I have to spell it out?"

"Hmm I don't know. I was thinking about a nice shower to relax."

"That could work well with my plans."

"I bet it could," she said knowingly.

"Are we good?" He suddenly asked seriously, shifting the mood of their position considerably.

"Do I have to spell it out?" She knew him so well. There was never any hiding from her. He needed things kept light to push away the dark. The humor to balance the sadness. The comfort to reject the coldness.

…

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"Hi, my babies. Did you have a good time with Nonna?" Lindsay said, squeezing her girls.

"They were perfect angels. No sugar. No TV. Definitely gave me no trouble with bath time. Went to bed right on time."

"Sure, Ma. I believe that one," Danny said sarcastically as he gave his mother a kiss.

"Thanks again Maria for watching them," Lindsay said, while the girls crawled all over her.

"Anytime, Dear. It's always my pleasure. I just hope this one groveled for bit," Maria said before pinching Danny's cheek.

"Oww Ma! Wish we could stay and chat but we gotta get back to the city. I'm on call, and I just know Mac's gonna call me in."

…

"And then Nonna taught us how to make cannolis, and let us eat like five each, and then one for breakfast this morning."

Lindsay laughed and held Julia close while Chloe cantered like a horse in circles around them. Danny laughed along with them.

He was strapping Julia into her car seat when out of the corner of his eye he saw the black SVU slow as it passed by the house. He watched as the window rolled down. It was like everything was in slow motion. He pushed Lindsay and Chloe down to be blocked by their car and he ducked behind its protective barrier.

When he heard the brick smash through the living room window, everything came rushing back to normal speed. He could barely make out the sound of screeching tires over Julia's cries.


	3. Chapter 3

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you, this is indeed an update. Finally. Thanks for sticking with this story!

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CHAPTER 3

"Danny, will you please calm down. You'll wake the girls," Lindsay whispered harshly. Her hand grazed his forearm, an attempt to calm him down. He was pacing so much she couldn't get that bridge that gap that was sure to bring him back down to her.

"No, I will not calm down. I had a fucking brick thrown at my head. What if it hit one of the girls, or you? What would I fucking do then? You can't get hurt," he practically yelled.

"We're fine. It didn't hit us," he caught her glance towards his old childhood bedroom door.

Chloe and Julia were tucked into the matching twin beds. Resting comfortably under the baseball bedding his mother had saved. It was strange, almost as if his and Louie's teenage years had been stricken from memory of this house. While he had stayed mostly out of trouble, consumed with determination to make it to Major League baseball, Louie had made bad friends, and bad choices early. His mother knew that Sonny Sassone was trouble from the word go. And knew that Louie was making a big mistake befriending him.

It made sense now why his mother pushed Danny into baseball camps and practices. But now in this house this bedroom has regressed to his early formative years. When things had been better.

"What about the next time? What about when they don't come back with just a brick but with a lead reminder?" he said harshly.

He knew he had gone too far when he heard her whimper. He turned around so quickly and saw Lindsay's face fall into sobs. She had been so brave, so strong, and here he was not comforting, but reminding her that her family could be in danger. He could be a real jerk sometimes. He had been so consumed with anger and fear for Lindsay, Chloe and Julia and he wanted Lindsay to understand what a serious threat it was. He only realized now that she did know, but was putting on a brave front. He caught her just as her legs gave way and she collaped into his arms.

"Linds. I didn't mean it. It's gonna be okay. I bet those mooks left fingerprints all over it. We'll catch 'em, it'll be okay. I'll keep you safe. I promise" He murmured into her hair, silently begging any god that would listen to his pleas. He held is small wife in his arms and rocked her gently.

They sat there for a long time, in the hallway of his childhood home, sprawled on the thick brown shag carpet that was certainly older than him. His hands caressing and soothing on her back grounding her to the safety he promised. To their life their family. As her breathing became steadier he could hear the sounds of the officers downstairs. The sounds of reality trickling back in. He couldn't be sure they'd be safe, but he could try his best.

He could hear his mother chirping away at the officers. Insisting on cooking them dinner if they had to stay and sort out unruly neighborhood kids. His mother was no idiot. She knew that the brick was not flung as an adolescent prank, but a message to her older son. And since Louie had no home of his own, and was likely to be holed up in a seedy house on a bender for a few more days, they made sure to give the message to someone who would listen.

When Danny was sure Lindsay was asleep, he shifted her in his arms and stood up lifting her easily. She was always small, but in his arms like this asleep, she looked so tiny he just wanted to wrap her up and keep her safe from the outside world. Maybe she was too light he thought. Maybe the stress of work and their arguments, and Louie was causing her not to eat. It was easy to remember holding her as he pinned her against the wall. But when her legs wrapped around his waist and her tight heat almost brought him to his knees she never felt small or in need of protection. She was voracious. And when she was whispering dirty things in his ear her feisty personality was larger than life.

He tried to shake those thoughts from his head. It would do him no good to get into that particular fantasy while in his mother's house. He'd probably be happy if his mother believed that Julia and Chloe were the result of Immaculate Conception or the stork. He wasn't sure if his mother would agree to take Julia and Chloe so many nights a month if she knew that Lindsay and he needed the house to themselves to play a rousing game of strip pool or naughty nurse.

He placed her gently on the bed in the spare bedroom. Maria Messer didn't ever have guests other than her grandkids and oldest son, but she also refused to call the room Louie's. She couldn't bear to ever deny her son a place to sleep but also didn't want to house him when she knew he couldn't stay sober.

So the room was kept in pastels, a flowery duvet covered the bed. A lace bed skirt matched the lace curtains which barely blocked out the soft orange lights from the streetlamp below. He held his breath, hoping he wouldn't jostle Lindsay awake. He hesitated to kiss her forehead, sure she would stir. So instead he brushed the soft brown curls off her cheek.

He covered her with a blanket tucking it in on the sides. To protect from the cold, or if he was really honest any danger. His heart actually ached when he looked at her. 6 years ago, when she walked down the aisle towards him, he never would have believed he could love her any more. Each time she gave birth to their daughters he was surprised at the capacity of love his heart could hold. And even now, just watching her sleep, his heart ached to keep her safe and free from danger.

He closed the door gently behind him and started to walk downstairs, back to reality. He could hear his mother talking to the officers.

"Michael, how's your mother? I never see her around anymore," she said, her voice forcibly light.

"She's good, Mrs. Messer. She moved to Tampa last spring, and just loves it down there."

"Tampa? What on earth is she doing there?"

"Playing bridge I imagine, and soaking up the sun. Whenever I call she tries to get me to leave the force. Move down there with Cath and the kids and open an alligator farm or something. "

"I don't know how she can do it, leave the neighborhood." Danny knew that no matter what his mother would never leave the city. In fact chances were that she'd never want to leave this house except if it were feet first.

Danny had to take a deep breath. Part of him wanted to storm in there and rip Michael Geddes a new one for sitting around gabbing to his mother about retirement villages, when he should be trying to find out who did this to his family, and his mother's living room window.

However he knew how it was. He grew up with Mikey, and knew enough about suburban crime solving, that they knew exactly who did this. Although he told Lindsay they would probably get fingerprints off the brick. The truth was, these thugs weren't afraid to sign their names on the threatening note, or use some goddamn Tanglewood stationary to send a message. They wanted some payback: their money or Louie dead. Whichever came first.

Danny walked into the kitchen, tried to look more upbeat than his weary face revealed.

"How are the girls? Where's Lindsay?" His mother was first to acknowledge him.

"They're all asleep. If you need Lindsay's statement, well maybe it could wait until tomorrow," he said to Mikey Geddes.

"Nah that's okay. We took it earlier. If we need anything else I'll call."

"Michael here was just telling me that his mother moved to Tampa," He knew what his mother was really saying, that Michael's mother is a coward to ran away from the neighborhood.

"Do you know who did this?" He thought Tampa sounded wonderful.

"We have a pretty good idea," Officer Geddes replied.

"So do I," mumbled Danny.

"Thank you for the food Mrs. Messer, I better be going." Danny walked him to the door. When he closed the door and turned to walk back to the kitchen he heard a piece of glass crunch under his boot. A piece of glass he missed when he was clearing the mess from the room. While Lindsay took the girls upstairs and held them while they cried, Danny swept glass and found a piece of plywood in the back yard to cover the gaping hole in the window.

"Watch out Ma, there is still glass on the floor" he said. "I'll get it in the morning, it's too dark to see it all.

"He's always been such a nice boy," Maria mused. It was her turn to ignore him.

"Even if he isn't very punctual." It was difficult being on this side. He never quite understood why people got so impatient with him at crime scenes. But now he did. It was because you had to wait forever for a police officer to arrive.

"Well this city has real crime to deal with before the police can stop to get cats out trees and follow up on cowardly vandals." She said snappily.

"Ma, this wasn't just vandalism, it was a threat."

"Pssh," she admonished him.

"Ma, it was and you need to start taking it seriously,"

"Well I'm being forced to take it seriously since you seem to have camped out in my house. Refusing to take your family home. Really Daniel, I've lived in this city since I was born and I lived here in this house many years before you were even born. I can certainly handle being here now. You have your own family to look after."

"Well I wanted Montana to go back to our house with the girls, while I stayed here, but she refuses to leave if I don't."

"I've always liked her. She can stay, you can go home. You're no good to anyone being a live wire and banging around the place like a bull in a china shop."

"Ma."

"Daniel." She was just as stubborn as him.

"Ma, please just don't give me a hard time about being worried about you."

"Daniel, I'm tired. I'm not used to entertaining guests this late."

"Ma, for the last time they weren't guests, they were police officers investigating a crime scene," He dropped his head to his hands, rubbing his eyes with heel of his hand. When he lifted his head off the counter she was already halfway up the stairs. He took a last glance at the boarded up living room window, before he stood up from the counter stool, and trudged up the stairs.

When he slid in behind Lindsay he was afraid that sleep would never come. He was worried that different scenarios would appear in his mind, frightening him to imagine the ways that people could harm his family. The sounds of Lindsay's even breaths and the feel of her soft hands grasping his at her waist coaxed him to sleep.


End file.
